THE PONDICHERRY VILLAGE AND COMMUNE PANCHAYATS ACT, 1973 (No. 10 of 1473) Q ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS CHAPTER I Sections 1. Short title, extent and commencement. 2. Definitions. CHAPTER I1 CONSTITUTIONOF VJLLAGEPANCHAYAT AND COMMUNEPANCHAYAT COUNCILS Formation of Panchayat Village and ~dmmune Panchayat 3. Formation of panchayat village. : 4. Township. 5. Formation of commune panchayats. 6. Constitution of village panchayats and; their incorporation. 7. Strength of a village panchayat. I 8. Constitution of commune panchayat ;councils for commune panchayats and their incorporations. 9. Composition and strength of a commune panchayat council. Elections and term of ofice of members 10. Election of members. 11. Reservation of seats for members co-option of women. 12. Delimitation of wards. 13. Term of office of members. 14. Village panchayat to elect members ertain cases and the term of office of such members. , 15. Tenure of members of commune pa 16. Election to more than one seat. 17. Qualifications for inclusion in electoial roll for panchayat village and publication thereof. 18 Power to rearrange and republish electbra1 roll. i 1 I i 478 I Sections Qualijications, disqual5fications, etc., of members of a village panchayat 19. Qualification of candidates. 20. Disqualification of officers and other employees of Govern- ment and local bodies. 21. Disqualification of persons convicted of election offences. 22. Disqualifications of candidates. 23. Disqualifications of members. 24. Restoration of members to office. 25. Authority to decide questions of disqualification of members. 26. Oath or affirmation to be made by members. -27. Corrupt practices and electoral offences. I Requisitioning of property for election purposes I 28. Requisitioning of premises, vehiqles, etc., for eleetion purposes. 29. Payment of compensation. 30. Power to obtain information. 31. Powers of entry into and inspection of premises etc. 32. Eviction from requisitioned premises. 33. Release of premises from requisition. 34. Penalty for contravention of any order regarding ;equi- sitioning. 35. Dispute as to validity of election. 36. Fresh elections. 37. Publication of the results of election. 38. Power to make rules regulating elections. 39. Jurisdiction of qivil courts barred. President and Vice-President 40. President and vice-president of village panchayat. 41. Election of president. 42. Election of vice-president. 43. Cessation of office of president and vice-president. 44. President, vice-president or member not to cease to hold office. 45. Functions of the president. 46. Devolution and delegation of president's functions and filling up of vacancies in the office of president. 47. Delegation of functions of president. Sections I Chairman and vice-chirm~n 48. Chairman and vice-chairman of commane panchayat councils. 48A. Election of chairman. 48B. Election of vice-chairman. i 48C. Cessation of office of chairman and 3icechairman. 48D. Functions of the chairman. 49. Devolution and delegation of chairmap's functions and filling up of vacancies in the office of chaiwan. Members 50. Rights of individual members. 5 1. No president, vice-president, chairmati, vice-chairman ' or member to receive remuneration. 52. Appointment of executive officers for certain village panchayats. 53. Functions of executive officer. Powers and duties of the executive ;authority 54. Functions of the executive authority. The commissioner : 55. Commissioners. 56. Emergency powers of commissioner. ' Procedure Presidency at meetings of village panchrlyats. Meetings of commune panchayat councils. Members when to abstain from taking part in discussion and voting. Minutes of proceedings. Power of village panchayat and commqe panchayat council to call for records. Proceedings of village panchayat, commune panchayat councils and committees. Appointment of joint committees. Committees. % Administration reports of village panch+ats. Administration reports of commune pawhayat councils. Validation of proceedings i 67. Acts of village panchayats, commune pa/xhayat councils etc., not to be invalidated by informality, tacancy, etc. 68. Establishment of the vifIage panchaGt and eommliflf5 - panday& cauncil. 69. Power to grant leave to txtablishment. '10. Special pvisiolrsr rarg91.ihtlg afficers snd crthts anjdqccs of the Government lent to commune panchapt council, Ti. kjovincialisation of any class .of o&3ce& w commune panchayat council. 72. Appointment of common offiw. 73. Transfer of and other mpbqym. 76. Duty of village panchayat to provide for certitia ~lktttirs. 77. Bower of village panchayat to provide fm eain other matters, 78. Duty of commune panchayat eptrheii to 'provide for ?+in 'Ezxatm. 79. Emt~tof exclwrtia~ of Mnity Wtrciownt Pr0gra;mw to COmmttBClr gadast mcik. 80. Power of commune panchayat council to pr&& far mrtaia matters. 81. Common water-works and burial a&3 burning gro&ds, etc. 82. Lighting of public roads and public pI&s. , 83. Maintenance of child-weIf8td cmtms, 6 84. Transfer of immovable property, maswat of. imti- tutions, execution or mainten- 9fbworks, e.,to a . * village panchayat. - 85. Government's power to add do %actiotas of c;oh.rnane psnt!hwat eonncil. 86. Limitation of pb~er, CO acctgthg' iknatias md * &ts . 87. Vesting of public roads in vilf- .prmdwtrr, '. *.. 88. Y.ksting d puMk I&. in eo~umpasch- a&clcilS. 89. Duty of village pnchay+ + cq~&mu~cp&g& or;tW ia respect of' puI$ic roads excluded from th&. operaGse of t6 Act. * - Sections 90. Precautions in case of drii~gerou!jktructures. 91, Precautions in case of dangerous trees. 92. Fencing of buildings or land and pruning of hedges and trees. I -- 93: Prohibition against obstruction4 in or over public roads, etc. 1 94. Vesting of communal propetty or income in village panchayat. 95. Vesting of water-works in villas panchayats. 96. Maintenance of irrigation works, execution of kudintaramat, etc. 97. Village panchayat to regulate the use of certain poran- .bokes. i 98. Collected sewage, etc., to belong to village panchayat. 99. Immovable property required bly village panchayat may be acquired under the Land Acq-iDisition Act, 1894. 100. Contributions from persons haYing control over glace of pilgrimage, etc. 1 101. Power to order closure of placeg of public entertainment. 102. Minor sufferipg from dangerobs diseases not to attend 1 SC~OO~S. - 103. Compulsory vaccination. 104. Obligation to give information of small-pox ar cholera. : 105. Precautions in case of dangerous tanks, wells, holes, etc. 106. Removal of filth or noliious begetation from lands and buildings. r I' , 107. Power of commissioner or exsutive authority to use or sell materials of dangerous str4cture taken down, etc. 108. Limitation of ,compensation. 109. Publie markets. i 110. Licensing of private markets. - 111. Decision of disputes as to whetkr places are markets. ' 112. Prohibition of sale in unlicensed :private markets, etc. 113. Prohibition against sale in publiq roads. 114. Classificatiop of markets. 115. Acquisition of right of persons to ho 116. Public I3nding pie* and cart-sflands, e 1 I?. 'Private -‘cab-stiiidi. " -i Sections . 118, Public slaughter-houses. , 119. Prohibition or regulation of the use of places for slaughtering animals and the licensing of slaughterers. 120. Numbering of buildings. 121. Purposes for which places may not be used without a licence. 122. Permission for the construction of factories and the instal- lation of machinery. 123. 'Power of Government to make rules in respect of the grant and renewal of licences and permissions. CHAPTER IV TAXATIONAND FINANCE 124. Local cess. 125. Local cess surcharge. 126. Rules regarding collection of local cess. 127. Taxes leviable by village panchayat. 128. Taxes leviable by commune panchayat council. 129. Mode of collection of tax leviable. House tax. 130. Method of assessment and rate of levy of house tax. 131. Appointment of authorised valuation officer. 132. Preparation of assessment list. 133. Authorised valuation officer to check assessment. 134. Publication of notice of assessment list. 135. Public notice of time fixed for lodging objections. 1%. Objection how to be dealt with. 137. Authentic list how far concIusive. 138. Amendment of assessment list. 139. Assessment to be done after every five years. 140. Recovery of house tax from the owner by the occupier. 141. Levy of house tax or profession tax on a direction by Government. 142. Power to make rules regarding house tax. Profession tax. 143. Profession tax. 144. Statements, returns, etc., to be confidential. Sections 145. Owner or occupier to furnish list1 of persons liable to tax. 146. Requisition of employers or their 1 representatives to furnish list. 1 147. Deduction of profession tax from {salary or wages or other sum. i 148. Appeals against assessments. Duty on transfers of pnoperty. 1 149. Duty on transfers of property. 150. Exemptions. 151. Power to require land revenue staff to collext taxes and fees due to village panchayat and coipmune panchayat council. 152. Write-off of irrecoverable amounts, Duty on Toddy Trdes. 153. Levy of duty on toddy trees. Entertainments tax. 154. Tax on payment for admission to entertainments. 155. Additional tax on cinematograph ekhibition. 156. Composition and consolidated payment of tax, 157. Admission to entertainments. 158. Manner of payment of tax. 159. Returns. 160. Entertainment exempted from payment of tax. 161. Inspection. 162. Exemption from payment for admission. 163. Powers of entry, search and seizura. 164. Power to make rules. Recovery of taxes, fees, cesses